The present invention relates to vehicle indicator light systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to vehicle indicator light systems that are configured to indicate whether a vehicle is accelerating, coasting, braking, or turning.
All street legal vehicles come equipped with basic indicator signals to convey to surrounding motorists and pedestrians the current and intended changes in motion the driver of a vehicle intends to make. Thus, if a driver depresses a brake pedal, the rear brake lights of a vehicle will illuminate, indicating to drivers behind them that they are slowing down. Likewise, if a driver activates a turn signal, a blinking light on either the left or right side of a vehicle is illuminated, expressing to those around the vehicle that the driver intends to move the vehicle in the indicated direction.
While these indicators are essential components of the safe operation of a vehicle, most vehicles lack visual indicators to convey that the driver is accelerating or that they are neither accelerating nor decelerating, otherwise known as coasting.
Although accelerating and coasting may not be thought of as vital information to convey to surrounding motorists and pedestrians, they can be crucial to the safety of the driver and others around them in certain circumstances. For example, while driving in heavy traffic, a driver will often coast until they must quickly apply the brake. A vehicle tailing the driver closely may not realize that the driver is coasting rather than accelerating, and thus may not anticipate a rapid deceleration, potentially leading to a dangerous and costly accident. Similarly, in low visibility conditions, such as heavy fog, it can be particularly difficult for motorists to identify each other, especially if the tail lights of a vehicle ahead are not activated. Accordingly, a device designed to convey additional information about the motion of a vehicle, such as the acceleration and coasting in addition to turning and braking actions, is desired.